"Go on, Ai, choose a card!"
The little Cupimon let her gaze sweep over the shuffled cards that were lying in front of her. She had already lifted one card. It showed the smiling face of a happy Etemon. Now all Ai had to do was choosing the matching card, and she had won.
"I choose... that one!"
Betamon reached for the card, flipped it around... and it showed the same Etemon face as the other!
The Rookie Demon Lords cheered at her. "Well done, Ai!" Betamon smiled. "You seem to have a pair of lucky hands."
"You... you really think so?" Ai asked with pride.
"Of course, and anyone who says other doesn't have a clue," DemiDevimon grinned.
"But... but Mako always says I'm so clumsy..."
The smile on DemiDevimon's face froze.
Betamon chuckled nervously as he saw the expression on the winged Rookie and quickly said: "W-well, what does Mako know? All that matters is that you managed to find all the matching pairs. You must be really PROUD of yourself..."
Ai nodded with a smile. "Y-yeah, I am... I really am. Thank you, Betamon!"
"Aw, I didn't do anything," the amphibian Demon Lord grinned. "You did everything by yourself."
She blushed. "Well, um... today was really fun, but you still will take me back home tomorrow as you promised, okay?"
"Of course we will," Riley said and patted her on her back. "Now you go down and rest a while. We have important stuff to do, you know?"
"We'll see you tomorrow, Ai!" DemiDevimon waved and showed her a fake grin, while Betamon led her downstairs into the dungeon.
As soon as she had left, his grin turned into an expression of rage. With a scream, he digivolved to his Ultimate Level and punched the wall next to him.
"I can't believe it!!" NeoDevimon yelled in rage. "How often do we have to play these silly games with her? I'm telling you, I'm getting SICK of it!"
Riley digivolved to Ultimate as well, and the curvaceous LadyDevimon gave her quasi-boyfriend a hug. "I know what you mean, but Betamon said it will just be a matter of time..."
"Bah! Time!" NeoDevimon snarled. "I want this to end NOW!"
"Now calm down there, honey," Riley cooed. "I'm getting impatient as well, but I believe they know what they are doing."
"Easy for you to say!" he grumbled. "I'm so mad right now, I fell like I'm ready to burst! I... I..." He raised his right hand and clenched his fist. "I want to CRUSH someone!"
Just at that moment, his body started to glow in an eerie, dark red light. Riley stepped back in surprise while Neo Devimon's form changed.
The door opened and Doumon came in. "Ah, just in time! Seems like your rage has built up to the point which allows you to reach your ultimate power... the Mega Level. Now you are a true Demon Lord... Welcome, Lord Daemon!"
Daemon stared down at his crimson cloak which was cloaking his entire body. A pair of curved horns jutted out of his cowl, and only his red eyes were visible in the darkness underneath the headdress.
The Lord of Wrath spread his dark wings and looked at his hands. "So this is it... the power of a Demon Lord!" He laughed to himself. "Finally... finally I have everything I ever dreamed of!"
"You know what that means, right?" Doumon asked.
Daemon looked at him. The grin underneath his cowl was hidden, but his eyes were squinting in anticipation. "We can risk freeing our next comrade..."
"Exactly!" Doumon's eyes were gleaming as well. "You are the third Demon Lord that has reached his full potential, and with the three of us, Yamacus will have no chance if we go and claim our long lost brother."
"But what if he decides to use Belphemon against us?" Daemon asked.
Doumon grinned. "He won't! Even if brainwashed, Belphemon will recognize us instantly. He could never harm one of his brothers! And if Yamacus decides to interfere... we will just have to out him out of commission!"
For a very short instance, Riley's hands were twitching. Daemon didn't seem to notice, but Doumon saw it from the corner of his eyes. Then Riley relaxed. In a cold voice, she stated: "If we have to do it, so be it! I don't care what happens to him!"
"You know you have to stay here and watch the prisoners for tonight?" Doumon asked. "It would be too risky if you aren't able to take on your true form yet."
"I know," Riley grumbled. "Just get back here quickly! I don't want to take care of the brat all by myself when she wakes up in the morning."
"Then I think it is time to go," the deep voice of Mega Seadramon said as he slithered into the room.
Doumon nodded. "Yes, it is time! The people have already witnessed the return of Belphemon... now they shall see that all of us are back!"
----
"Magnadramon, what should I do if Betamon breaks his promise? I wanna go home..." The little Cupimon snuggled against the soft fur of the Dragon Mega.
Magnadramon sighed. How was she supposed to make it clear to the young child that Betamon and the others were just using her? She knew that the 'games' the Demon Lords were playing with her had the powers to cloud her judgement. It was no real brainwashing... but still, as long as they would to play with her, she wouldn't be able to see them as something else than her friends.
"Honey, I'm afraid Betamon won't keep his promise for a very long time..."
Ai sniffed. "But wh-why? He said I was so good at everything. He even played 'tea party' with me when the others wouldn't... He's my friend, so why wouldn't he bring me back home?" She sobbed. "I miss my Mommy and Daddy! And Impmon and M-mako..."
Magnadramon cradled the In-Training Digimon with her giant paw. "There, there..." she murmured. "Everything will be all right. We will find a way sweetie..."
"Thanks..." Ai sniffed. "You're always so nice to me, Magnadramon... You know, tomorrow I should ask Betamon if you can join us when we're playing..." She yawned and cuddled closer to Azulongmon's wife. "Magnadramon?"
"Yes, Ai?"
"I did... I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I mean, Betamon has no reason to be angry at me, does he?"
Magnadramon sighed. "No, Ai! On the contrary, you did very well." She meant it. She admired the ability of the young girl to bear with the situation over the days. If only she would realize the danger she was in...
Ai smiled. "Thank you, Magnadramon... good night!"
"Good night, Ai!"
And the two of them fell asleep in each other's arms. Ai kept smiling in her sleep. She was happy that even the female dragon thought she was doing well.
In this moment, she was feeling so very proud of herself!
A soft glow surrounded the sleeping form of the Cupimon... not bright enough to wake the sleeping Magnadramon, but still bright enough to conceal her features...
And when the light dimmed down, the figure of a human child with tiny, brown pigtails was leaning against the dragon's soft body. She was dressed in a white toga and had golden rings on her wrists and ankles. Ten white wings were coming out of her back, while an additional, smaller pair was growing out of her head.
And while the Demon Lords were getting ready to battle, unbeknown to either of them, their fifth member had awoken... Lucemon, Mistress of Pride!
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(Posted Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:27)
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